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May 13, 2016

G36: Astros 7, Red Sox 6

The Red Sox scored five times in the second inning before making an out, and the game seemed like it would be similar to the last four in Boston's five-game winning streak. But Houston came back to tie the game in the fifth and George Springer's two-run homer off Matt Barnes in the sixth ended up being the deciding blow. Travis Shaw slugged a solo shot to bring the Red Sox to within one, but that's how the rainy night at Fenway ended. Coupled with the Orioles' 1-0 win over the Tigers, the loss dropped Boston into second place (1 GB).

Steven Wright (4.1-9-5-2-3, 93) gave up four singles and one run in the first inning, but his mates rallied in the bottom of the second. Hanley Ramirez singled to right, Shaw walked, and Brock Holt worked a 10-pitch walk, loading the bases. Ryan Hanigan drilled a double to the wall in right-center, scoring two and Jackie Bradley doubled to right, giving Boston a 3-1 lead. That hit also extended Bradley's hitting streak to 19 games. While Mookie Betts was batting, a fourth run scored on a wild pitch, and Betts followed with a run-scoring single. It felt like the Red Sox would be hitting for the next 20 minutes, but the Astros recorded three outs in the space of only four pitches as Dustin Pedroia flied to right and Xander Bogaerts grounded into a double play.

Houston batted around in the fifth, scoring four times off Wright, with Springer's two-run double being the big blow. Barnes finished up that inning and pitched the sixth, allowing Springer's go-ahead dong.

Shaw's home run leading off the bottom half of the inning closed the gap to 7-6, but the Red Sox could not score again. Bradley singled with two outs in the sixth, but was left at first. Pedroia began the seventh with a single and Ramirez walked with two outs. However, Shaw grounded into a force play. Bradley's two-out single in the eighth was for naught, and the Red Sox's 2-3-4 hitters - Pedroia, Bogaerts, and Ortiz - went in order in the ninth.

Bradley finished the night 3-for-4. It was JBJ's fourth 3-hit game of the season and his sixth consecutive multi-hit game.

Shaw's home run gave the Red Sox a long ball in 14 straight games, their longest streak since August 13-28, 1996 (15 games). That 1996 team also homered in 19 straight games from July 4-25, which is actually the franchise's longest streak since at least 1913 - and it is highly doubtful any of the 1901-12 teams had a longer HR streak. (Amazingly, the longest streak the tater-mashing Red Sox of my youth - the late '70s - managed was 10 games.)

The Red Sox' streak of four consecutive games in which they scored 11 or more runs and won by a margin of at least seven runs is the longest for any major-league team since Pittsburgh won four straight games in that fashion in 1901.

It's unbelievable, man. I don't think I've ever seen anything like this, to be honest. I wish it could continue, but the chances of that continuing, 10 runs every game, is pretty tough. Hopefully it continues. It's unbelievable to be part of right now. ... I just can't wait until 1:30 to hit to come to the park. Just being around the guys, playing cards, and hitting in the cage or working with the coaches. Being here is an awesome time right now.

Elias:

Boston has scored 40 first-inning runs this season, the second-most in the majors behind the Nationals' total of 41 runs in the opening frame. It is the Red Sox' second-highest total of runs in the first inning through their first 35 games of a season. They plated 44 runs in that inning to this point of the season in 1950.

The Red Sox also have 14+ hits for the fourth straight game. Going back to 1913, the team's record is five games, set on August 15-17, 1950.

Boston became the first team to score at least 11 runs and record at least 14 hits in four consecutive games since the 1930 Philadelphia A's, who were led to a World Series title by Hall of Famers Jimmie Foxx, Mickey Cochrane and Al Simmons.

For the first time in Fenway Park history, the Sox have recorded at least eight runs and at least 12 hits in six consecutive home games.